Hinge for furniture

ABSTRACT

Hinge for fastening a door ( 12 ) to a side wall ( 11 ) of a piece of furniture, comprising a first element of the hinge ( 20 ) fixed to the side wall ( 11 ), a second element of the hinge ( 40 ) fixed to the door ( 12 ) of the piece of furniture, and an intermediate element ( 60 ) hinged to the first element of the hinge ( 20 ), for allowing the oscillating connection of the first hinge element ( 20 ) to the second hinge element ( 40 ) to enable the articulation of the door ( 12 ) with respect to the side wall ( 11 ) of the piece of furniture, the intermediate element ( 60 ) being equipped with an adapter ( 70 ) suitable for being inserted in a housing ( 41 ), incorporated in the second hinge element ( 40 ), by means of a linear sliding “drawer-like” movement, the adapter being blocked by the insertion of a tooth ( 77 ) on the adapter ( 70 ) into a groove ( 53 ) and a matching element ( 54 ), situated on a lid ( 52 ) attached by means of a hinge ( 48 ) along the edge of an anchoring plate ( 50 ) incorporated inside the second hinge element ( 40 ) allowing it to be reversed from a closed position in contact with the anchoring plate ( 50 ), to an open position obtained by a rotation around the hinge ( 48 ), varying from a few degrees to 90 degrees.

The present invention relates to a hinge for furniture.

In particular, the invention relates to a hinge for furniture includinga first element to be fixed to the inside of a side wall of a piece offurniture, a second element to be fixed to a door and an intermediateelement, hinged to the first element to enable the reciprocalarticulation of the first and second element, so as to allow the openingand closing of the door.

Hinges of this type have been known for some time, as they simplify theassembling and dismantling operations of furniture doors and thenecessary regulations for the correct assembly functioning.

A hinge of the above-mentioned type is described in Italian patentapplication Nr. BS91A0000089.

According to the disclosure of said patent application, a single pinhinge for furniture for fixing a door to a side wall of a piece offurniture, comprises an element fixed on the door, with a portioninserted therein, and an element fixed on the wall of the furniture,equipped with a hinge, the element fixed on said wall having anorientable portion, articulated on the pin of the hinge and connected tothe element fixed on the door, when the hinge has been assembled. Theorientable portion has an intermediate element, suitable for beinginserted into a housing present in the element fixed to the door; arelease device is included for blocking the intermediate element, whichholds said element once it is inserted in the housing, by means of arotation around its hinging point and pressure towards the bottom of thehousing.

The hinge according to the above invention has the drawback ofcompletely disinserting the part of the hinge fixed to the wall of thefurniture from the element fixed to the door, during the dismantling ofthe door. This means that the operator must sustain the door in thecorrect position until all the hinges have been released, to prevent thedoor from falling and to prevent the whole weight of the door fromresting on the last hinge to be released.

A second drawback of the hinges described above and so far known, is thenecessity of resorting to tools for the disassembling of the hinge.

The general objective of the present invention is to solve the abovedrawbacks of the known art in a very simple, economical and particularlyfunctional way.

A further objective of the invention, in addition to providing a systemcapable of safely supporting the door during the assembly anddismantling operations, is to facilitate said operations, above all whenthere is only one operator.

Also included in the objectives of the present invention is to provide ahinge which, thanks to the particular draft configuration of itsinsertion elements, allows easy assembly and guarantees an accuratecoupling when said elements are in a closed position.

In view of the above objectives, a hinge for furniture has beenconceived, according to the present invention, having thecharacteristics specified in the enclosed claims.

The structural and functional characteristics of the present inventiontogether with its advantages with respect to the known art will appearclearer and more evident from an examination of the followingdescription, referring to the enclosed drawings, which illustrate ahinge for furniture achieved according to the innovative principles ofthe invention itself.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 represents a perspective view of a hinge for furniture, accordingto the invention, with the door dismantled;

FIG. 2 represents a plan view of the hinge of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 represents a section along the line III-III of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of the hinge of FIG. 1, with thedoor assembled;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of the hinge of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a section along the line VI-VI of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 represents the section of a detail of the hinge of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 represents a perspective view of the hinge of FIG. 4 with thedoor unblocked.

FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of a hinge for furniture according to avariant of the embodiment of the invention with the door dismantled;

FIGS. 10 and 11 respectively show, in a longitudinal section, twooperative positions of the variant of the embodiment of the hinge ofFIG. 9 with the door assembled.

With reference to the drawings, a hinge for furniture, object of theinvention, conceived for fixing a door to the side wall of a piece offurniture, is indicated, as a whole, with 10 and, in the exampleillustrated according to the present invention, includes a first hingeelement 20, fixed to a wall 11 of a piece of furniture and a secondhinge element 40 fixed to a door 12 of the piece of furniture.

The first hinge element 20 is in the form of a shaped plate and has afirst flat portion 21 for fixing it to the inside wall of the furnitureby means of screws.

In this respect, a centering plate 22 fixed to said first portion 21 isinserted between the first flat portion 21 and the wall of thefurniture.

A second portion 23 extends perpendicularly from the first portion 21,said second portion having the same profile as the side wall 11 beyondits edge adhering to the edge itself.

A fork 24 protruding from the edge of the furniture extendsperpendicularly from the second portion 23, and is therefore parallelagain to the surface of the wall 11 of the furniture.

At the end of the fork 24, an intermediate hinge element 60 isoscillatingly fixed with a hinge 25 to one of its two ends, forming anorientable articulated portion for the oscillating connection of thefirst hinge element 20 to the second hinge element 40 to allow thearticulation of the door 12 with respect to the wall 11 of the piece offurniture.

The intermediate element 60 is substantially L-shaped and has a firstportion 61 hinged to the fork 24 and a second portion 62 perpendicularto the first, on which an adapter 70 suitable, for being connected withthe second hinge element 40, is inserted.

To allow its insertion on the second portion 62 of the intermediateelement 60, the adapter 70 has a base 71, two side walls 72 and a backwall 73 which surround the second portion 62.

A through hole 63 situated on the second portion 62 allows the positionof the adapter 70 to be fixed and regulated by the insertion of a screwinside a threaded bushing (not illustrated) situated on the base 71 ofthe adapter 70.

The insertion of the second portion 62 of the intermediate element 60containing the adapter 70 inside the second hinge element 40 is achievedwith a linear sliding “drawer-like” movement, thanks to longitudinalmatching elements 76 externally positioned along the side walls 72 ofthe adapter 70 and whose sliding is guided within grooved guides 43situated along the walls 42 and for which there is a housing 41incorporated in the second hinge element 40.

In order to facilitate the assembly of the second portion 62 of theintermediate element 60 inside the housing 41 and also guarantee aprecise coupling once these elements are in a closed position, saidsecond portion 62 and, correspondingly, said housing 41, are tapered,and broaden out starting, respectively, from the inserting end of saidsecond portion 62 and from the bottom of said housing 41, so as tocreate a draft which facilitates said insertion.

For the same reasons, the longitudinal matching elements 76 are taperedand broaden out vertically starting from the ends 76′ to be insertedinside the grooved guides 43 which correspondingly have enlarged mouths43′, are tapered and become narrow towards the end of housing 41.

Said ends 76′ also have rounded edges to facilitate insertion inside thegrooved guides 43.

The second hinge element 40 also comprises an anchoring plate 50 of theelement to the door 12, having a substantially quadrangular shape,connected along one side to said housing 41 and equipped with holes 51for the screwing of the door 12.

A blocking element is also assembled on the anchoring plate 50, on theopposite side with respect to that connected to the housing 41,consisting of a lid 52 attached by the hinge 48, so that it can bereversed from a closed position in contact with the anchoring plate 50,to an open position obtained by a rotation around the hinge, varyingfrom a few degrees to 90 degrees.

The lid 52 is equipped with a groove 53 for housing a tooth 77protruding from the upper surface of the back wall 73 of the adapter 70.

The lid 52 also has a matching element 54, situated along the side ofthe groove 53, for the insertion of the tooth 77, when the lid 52 isclosed, in order to block the adapter 70 with a release movement, andconsequently connect the two hinge elements 20 and 40.

The matching element 54 also enables the adapter to be inserted insidethe housing 41, even when the lid 52 is closed.

For this purpose, the tooth 77 has a sloping surface 77′ which allows itto slide, during the drawer-like movement for the insertion of theadapter 70 inside the housing 41, along a corresponding sloping surface54′ positioned on the matching element 54, so as to lift the lid 52, byrotation around the hinge 48, to an angle suitable for allowing theinsertion of the tooth 77 inside the groove 53 and for allowing the lid52 to close with a click, once the tooth 77 has passed over the matchingelement 54.

A leaf spring 55, arranged in contact with the edge of the lid 52, belowthe hinge 48, is provided to guarantee the return to the closed positionof the lid 52.

The leaf spring, in combination with the particular section of the partof the lid 52 in contact therewith (FIG. 7), has two functions:

-   1. to bring the lid back to a closed position.

In this way, the assembly operation is greatly facilitated and islimited to the insertion and pushing of the door, without any directmanoeuvring on the hinge. A firm fastening is also guaranteed.

-   2. During the assembly phase, when the lid is rotated beyond a    certain angle, the thrust of the spring produces a contrary effect,    ensuring the opening of the lid and the release of the hinge.

A pair of teeth 56 protruding below said lid 52, at the sides of thetooth 77, suitable for being inserted inside the corresponding opening58, situated in the anchoring plate 50, are provided to make the closingof the lid 52 structurally more solid.

It is evident how the assembly and dismantling of the door can beeffected without any particular difficulty, safely, and withoutoperating under precarious conditions, as once the intermediate elementhad been unblocked by lifting the lid 52, it is still supported insidethe housing 41.

For particular safety requirements, such as those requested by theregulations of certain countries, the hinge must be provided withadditional means against accidental release, as may occur with theintervention of children.

The intermediate element 60, as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, is equipped witha stop 80, which slides and is inserted into the back wall 73 of theadapter 70 and is elastically held in position.

Said stop 80 is “T”-shaped, being equipped with an upper element 80′,substantially enlarged and horizontal, and with a lower vertical shank80″.

On the upper element 80′, it is possible both to move the stop 80 to theblocking position and also to release it in the unblocked position.

In the former case, the stop 80 will have the shank 80″ inserted in anopening 83 situated in a surfacing 82 situated on the bottom of thehousing 41, whereas, in the latter case, said shank 80″ will bepositioned outside the opening 83.

For safety reasons, a certain pressure must be applied on the upperelement 80′ of the stop to obtain said unblocking, using a tool such asa screwdriver, in order to prevent unblocking on the part of children.

A blunting 84 is present on the back wall 73 corresponding to thesurfacing 82 on the bottom of the housing 41, and having the same shape.

From the above description with reference to the figures, it can be seenhow a furniture hinge, according to the invention, is particularlyuseful and advantageous. The objective mentioned in the introduction ofthe description is thus achieved.

The hinge according to the invention can obviously have different shapesfrom those shown in the drawings which are purely illustrative andnon-limiting examples.

The scope of the invention is consequently delimited by the enclosedclaims.

1. A hinge for fastening a door (12) to a side wall (11) of a piece offurniture, comprising a first hinge element (20) fixed to the side wall(11), a second hinge element (40) fixed to the door (12) of the piece offurniture, and an intermediate element (60) hinged to said first elementof the hinge (20), for allowing the oscillating connection of the firsthinge element (20) to the second hinge element (40) to enable thearticulation of the door (12) with respect to the side wall (11) of thepiece of furniture, that the intermediate element (60) being equippedwith an adapter (70) suitable for being inserted in a housing (41),incorporated in the second hinge element (40), by means of a linearsliding “drawer-like” movement, said adapter being blocked by theinsertion of a tooth (77) situated on said adapter (70) into a groove(53) and a matching element (54), situated on a lid (52) attached bymeans of a hinge (48) along the edge of an anchoring plate (50)incorporated inside the second-hinge element (40), allowing it to bereversed from a closed position in contact with the anchoring plate(50), to an open position obtained by a rotation around the hinge (48),varying from a few degrees to 90 degrees, characterized in that said lid(52) has a pair of teeth (56) protruding at the sides of the tooth (77),and suitable for being inserted within the corresponding openings (58)situated in the anchoring plate (50), in order to make the closing ofthe lid structurally more solid.
 2. The hinge according to claim 1,wherein said tooth (77) protrudes from a back wall (73) with which theadapter (70) is equipped, and said tooth (77) has a sloping surface(77′) suitable for contact with a corresponding sloping surface (54′)positioned on the matching element (54), in order to reverse the lid(52), during the assembly phase of the door, to an angle suitable forallowing the insertion of said tooth (77) inside the groove (53) and toobtain blockage, by means of the click-insertion of the tooth (77)within said matching element (54).
 3. The hinge according to claim 2,wherein a leaf spring (55) is situated near the hinge (48) of said, lid(52), suitable for coming into contact with an edge of the lid (52) toguarantee the return of the lid (52) from an open to a closed position,said open position being effected by means of rotation to a variableangle.
 4. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein said intermediateelement (60) is substantially “L”-shaped and has a first portion (61)hinged to a fork (24) at one end of said first hinge element (20) and asecond portion (62), perpendicular to said first portion (61), on whichsaid adapter (70) is inserted.
 5. The hinge according to claim ˜4,wherein said adapter (70) has a base (71), two side walls (72) and aback wall (73) which surround said second portion (62).
 6. The hingeaccording to claim 5, wherein on said second portion (62) there is athrough-hole (63) to allow the position of the adapter (70) to be fixedand regulated by means of a screw.
 7. The hinge according to claim ˜6,wherein the adapter (70) has longitudinal matching elements (76)externally protruding along the side walls (72) suitable for slidingwith a linear “drawer-like” movement, and being guided within groovedguides (43) situated along the walls (42) of the housing (41).
 8. Thehinge according to claim ˜7, wherein said second portion (62) and,correspondingly, said housing (41) are tapered, so that they broaden outstarting, respectively, from the end to be introduced of said secondportion (62) and from the bottom of said housing (41), so as to create adraft which facilitates said introduction.
 9. The hinge according toclaim 8, wherein said longitudinal matching elements (76) are taperedand broaden out vertically starting from the ends (76′) to be insertedwithin the grooved guides (43) which, correspondingly, have enlargedmouths (43′) and are tapered so as to become narrow towards the bottomof the housing (41).
 10. The hinge according to claim 2, wherein saidadapter (70) is equipped with a stop (80) which slides into the backwall (73) and is suitable for being inserted inside an opening (83)situated in the housing (41).
 11. The hinge according to claim 10,wherein said stop (80) is “T”-shaped, being equipped with an upperelement (80′) substantially enlarged and horizontal, and with a lowervertical shank (80″) suitable: for being inserted inside said opening(83).